The Giver, chapter 24
by who's on first
Summary: School project, please comment


Chapter 24

The boughs of the fir trees laden with snow glinted in the dusk light. A young boy and his father trekked through the deep banks, their steamy breath clouding the crisp air around them. The whole forest seemed to be emanating a peaceful feeling, a feeling that one could sit there and bask in the moonlight for hours on end.

The boy called to his father. "Does this one look good dad?" he asked. His father quickly strode across to his son, and eyed the tree his son was pointing to.

"It's a beauty, Gavin. You have a real eye for this don't you?" Gavin turned slightly red with the praise, and gave his father a light playful punch in the arm. "Aw, well, you know." he mumbled. "Anyway, should we take this one?"

"Sure, do you want to do the honors?" asked his father. "Definitely!" Gavin replied enthusiastically. Gavin's father set his backpack on a large stump surrounded by snow, he reached in and took out a small hand saw and handed it to Gavin.

"Go wild son." he said. Gavin took the handle from his father and knelt down beside the small tree. He found a straight part of the trunk with no knots and started to gently saw away. After a while, the tree fell loose and Gavin caught it softly. "Where's the sled?" he asked his father. "We can strap the tree to it."

"Oh, I left it on the hill when we stopped for our snack" he replied "My mistake, do you want to wait here with this little tree while I go and fetch it?"

"No, I'd rather not be left alone in these woods" said Gavin, a little ashamed "Even though they may be quite pretty."

"That's fine, we'll go together and come back to get the tree." said his father.

Gavin was grateful to go with his father, and they both started the hike up a steep hill to where the sled was. Gavin, being shorter than his father, had trouble climbing the hill, and once at the top, stumbled a bit, and fell down.

"You ok Gavin?" his father asked him while helping him to his feet "Yes, dad." Gavin replied, somewhat embarrassed. As his father helped Gavin back up, he noticed the sled was gone. "Are we on the wrong hill?" asked Gavin, he too had noticed there being no sled. "No," said his father, puzzled. "I'm sure it was this hill." They both walked forward and looked around in he snow where the sled should have been. Gavin noticed some tracks made by the runners in the snow. "The tracks go down the hill." he said "maybe it slipped down." His father peered down the steep hill into the mist below. "Ah, there it is, I see it." he said. They both made their way down, but around half way down Gavin's father stopped suddenly. "What is it dad?" asked Gavin, curious. His father didn't reply but then started dashing down the hill towards the sled. Shocked, Gavin tried to follow but couldn't keep up with his father.

Once Gavin had made it to the bottom he found his father crouched beside the sled with a small child in his arms, and beside him a young boy, around Gavin's age, lying wrapped in his father's coat, unconscious.

Jonas shifted in and out of his dreams, not sure what was reality and was in his mind. He thought back to the community, and to The Giver, and to his Father and Mother, and to Lily, and mostly, to Fiona.

When Jonas finally awoke, he was in a soft, warm bed, and beside him lay a cup of hot tea. When he finally mustered the strength, he looked around and found himself in a bedroom, but this room was unlike any other bedroom he had been in before. This bedroom had pictures, and windows, and playing softly in the background Jonas heard beautiful music. Then Jonas heard

laughter, joyful, and comforting, and Jonas could feel love. Then, after lying in bed for quite some time, he noticed a man sleeping propped up in the chair beside his bed. The man had a gentle and kind face, with a rough, dark beard and shaggy hair much longer than Jonas had ever seen on a man in the Community. Jonas tried to stand up, but his legs were shaky and weak, so he stumbled and started to fall.

The man quickly awoke when he heard Jonas getting up, and seeing that he could barely stand rushed over to his side and helped steady him. "Lie back down, child." said the man reassuringly. "Don't rush things." Jonas obediently lay back in the bed. The man handed him the tea. "Have some." he said. Jonas took a sip of the tea and the warmth flooded through his body and he felt much stronger. Finally, Jonas spoke. "Who are you?" he asked. "Where am I?" Then, feeling it rude not to show his gratitude, said "I apologize for being rude, thank you very much."

The man, slightly taken aback by this answered the first question. "My name is William Andrews," he said. "And my son and I found you earlier this evening with a small baby."

"Gabriel!" exclaimed Jonas "Where is he? Is he all right?"

"Yes, the boy is fine, but you still must rest, try to go back to sleep, we can talk when you wake"

The man pulled the covers over Jonas and walked out the door. Jonas lay there for a while, pondering over everything, until sleep took him and he was once again enveloped in his dreams.

The Giver sat in his large cushioned arm chair and stared at the wall. He had stayed in his room without eating for days, and was thinking of Jonas. Soon, the memories would come rushing back to the community and he would have to help them through it once again, but this

time, he would be ready, and maybe this time, they could change it.

Jonas awoke the next morning to the sound of Gabriel laughing in another room, he smiled and gingerly tried to move his stiff legs and get out of bed. He was still sore, but was in much better condition then the night before. Eventually he got up and found a pile of clothes at the bottom of his bed, with a piece of paper lying on top that read: "_If these fit, feel free to wear them, they are my son's._"

Once dressed, Jonas got up and left his room, he found himself in a long carpeted hall with pictures and paintings lining the walls. The first thing he noticed about the hall was that it wasn't gray and bland like the houses back in his community, this hall was colorful and bright, it felt warm and welcoming, it felt like someone cared for this place, and had designed it to his or her tastes.

Jonas made his way down the hall, and when he came to the door where Gabriel's laughter was coming from, he slowly opened it. In the room was a young boy playing with Gabriel, he looked around the same age as Jonas, but was taller and more stocky, and also, sitting in a chair, was the man, William, who had been there with Jonas the night before.

"Ah, you're awake." said the man, getting up to help Jonas if need be.

"Are you feeling well?" he asked. "We thought you might not make it, along with this little guy." he said, motioning to Gabriel.

"Yes." said Jonas. "Thank you."

The man motioned to the chair he had been sitting in and asked if Jonas would like to sit there. Jonas, who was starting to feel a bit weak again, sat down gratefully. "Anyway," William said. "This is my son, Gavin." Jonas nodded in acknowledgment, before realizing he was expected to offer his name as well. "Very nice to meet you, my name is Jonas." he said quickly. Gavin muttered an awkward "Hi." to Jonas, which he returned politely.

That night, Jonas sat at the kitchen table with William, Gavin, and his mother, Teresa. He drifted in and out of their conversations, not really catching anything. Until the conversation turned to him, "And so what's your story, Jonas?" asked Teresa. And Jonas, relieved to tell someone, told them everything, The Ceremony of the Twelves, his selection to be The Receiver, The Giver, how he had taken the burden of all the memories for the entire community, and everything that had happened since then. The family listened patiently to all he said, and at the end, he knew that he had finally found a family that could truly, actually love, and be loved by.

The entire community had gathered in the ceremony hall for the past couple of days, waiting for the inevitable memories that would soon come rushing in, and among them sat The Giver, earlier that day, The Giver had told them everything that had happened since Jonas had become The Receiver, and he told them how Jonas had stolen away with Gabriel and had gone to find Elsewhere. He had done his best to prepare them for this, but he knew they still didn't understand the full extent of what was to happen. He had tried to explain to them what was to come, he told them there was going to be a great deal of pain, for everyone, pain like they had never known before, almost unendurable pain, pain that could not be covered up with drugs and pills, pain they must be ready for. But he also told them there would be joy, and happiness, and memories from back and back, with love, and these would make the load easier. And then finally, he had tried to explain to them about color, and music, but nobody understood, yet.

Then, suddenly, a young girl somewhere screamed, and that was followed by another scream, and yet another, the memories were coming, and now there was nothing The Giver could do but sit back helplessly and watch. As the memories came rushing back, some felt pure joy and love for he first time, but that was followed by pain and sorrow, some had collapsed to the ground, their legs buckling under the weight of the memories.

The Giver, felt somehow responsible for this, and wished that he could make it stop, beside the fact it may change the community forever. But, then something happened, the screams and cries for help stopped, the memories were still coming, but now they could bear them, every member of the community sat in solemn silence, while more and more memories rushed to them, filling them with knowledge and wisdom never before imagined. Then, The Giver, watching this all unfold, felt his own memories he that he had yet to give Jonas rush out of his body, with such a force it felt as if his chest would rip open, he tried to hold them in but in the end yielded to the incredible force.

The Giver collapsed to the ground in a heap, now, finally, his lifelong work was over, he felt the years lift off him, and felt the happiest he had in a long time. Then, among the whole community, The Giver felt his life slip away and as his eyes closed for the last time, he felt as though he was finally at peace.


End file.
